Electrical Plan Review

When is an Electrical Plan Review required?

All electrical plans for new or altered electrical installations in educational,
institutional, health or other personal
care facilities classified or defined in WAC
296-46B-900 must be reviewed and approved before the electrical
installation or alteration is started.

Plan review is a part of the electrical inspection process; its primary purpose is to determine that loads are calculated per the proper NEC or WAC article or section and that conductors and equipment are adequately sized and rated to the calculated load.

It is L&I's Electrical Plan examiner’s responsibility to review plans for electrical installations to verify compliance with the National Electrical Code and Washington State rules and regulations.

Although electrical plans are checked for compliance with many sections of the National Electrical Code, the main focus of L&I's review is the load on the service and feeders of the electrical system(s), and proper design of emergency and standby systems. Our review starts at the branch circuit level and investigates equipment and conductors in the load path back to the service point.

Submitting your electrical plan for review

The Electrical
Plan Review Submittal Guide (353 KB PDF) describes
the information needed to review your electrical plans and load data. It
includes instructions, sample forms, and schedules to demonstrate an acceptable
format that can be used to present your supporting documentation. You may
use our forms, or you may create your own. These forms are designed to assist
you in assembling an accurate presentation so as to demonstrate that your
design is in compliance with the appropriate codes. It includes instructions
about how to submit your electrical plan for review by Labor & Industries.